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Tuesday 130319 Chipper

After entering my (low) WLC score for Sunday I happened to read thru a few CFM “players'” comments regarding the challenge. This 2 week period, the lifestyle challenge is to practice 10 minutes of mindfulness at some point each day. Seemly not so difficult. Here is what Darryl said about it:Practicing mindfulness, initially, has been more of a challenge than the water and sleep quotas … Practicing mindfulness halfway through the ‘challenge’ presents yet another opportunity. Whether or not you agree with this particular challenge being more difficult than another… what I’d like you to notice is the way Darryl framed the issue. As an “opportunity” rather than a struggle. Not something to endure or to get through… but something that, if embraced, could potentially lead to unknown positive results. An optimistic and lighter way to look at something that might not be easy to do. I wonder if I can look at other things that come up during the day as opportunities rather than stresses or complications. After all, these practices (no sugar intake, heavy weights overhead, enough sleep) are not intended to make life more stressful…but rather, to make life BETTER.

This is one of my favorite recipes that has found a place in my regular weekly rotation of go-to meals. It is compliant with a clean eating lifestyle, and is also vegetarian. It keeps well in the refrigerator and makes a great lunch all week long. This stew also is a great meal if you are battling a cold, because it contains both fresh garlic and ginger, which are immune boosters.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

2 medium onions, roughly chopped

1 medium green bell pepper cored and roughly chopped

4 sweet potatoes (or yams), peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

2 medium carrots peeled and chopped

1 or 2 parsnips peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced (I prefer 6 or 7)

2 Tbsp ginger root, fresh minced

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it, I prefer a whole teaspoon or more)

4 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth

6 Tbsp peanut butter (natural variety)

8 cups pre-washed baby spinach leaves

Optional: cooked brown or jasmine rice, crushed peanuts

Instructions

Peel and chop all veggies and prep ingredients, set aside.

Coat a large saucepan (I prefer a large wok) with olive oil and set over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the sweet potato, carrots, and garlic; cook for several minutes, stirring often. Add the ginger, salt, and cayenne; stir and cook for a few more minutes.

Pour in the vegetable broth into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer slowly. Add the vegetable mixture, and add in peanut butter, stirring once in a while, until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add the spinach; cook stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Serve hot as is, or over a bed of rice, garnished with crushed peanuts.